If your plan is to party like the Irish all day on March 17, don’t forget to fuel up on energy in the morning. Why not call over some friends with a “top o’ the morning” and start celebrating early this year? Try these recipes for the perfect St. Patty’s brunch, and your invites will feel like it’s their lucky day.
Irish Coffee Cheesecake
Tip: make this cake the night before your brunch and let it chill in the fridge overnight. Serve as a dessert after brunch.
Pre-made graham cracker crust (available at most grocery stores)
3 packages of cream cheese
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup Baileys Irish liqueur
2 tbsp instant coffee
Use an electric mixer on a medium speed to whisk the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and the eggs, continuously mixing. Stir in the sour cream, Baileys and the instant coffee and mix until smooth.
Transfer the mixture onto the pre-made graham cracker crust and place in the pre-heated oven at 300 F. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean from the center. Chill for at least 4 hours in the fridge.
Pot O’ Golden Potato Cakes
These require a bit of effort because of the shredding, but you can just as easily chop the potatoes into slices and make home fries instead. Use all the same ingredients except the eggs, flour and baking powder.
2 eggs
1 medium sized onion, chopped fine
1 garlic glove, chopped fine
3 tbsp. flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 cups shredded potatoes
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying
Blend the eggs, onion and garlic together in a bowl. Stir well then add the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Add the shredded potatoes and stir well.
In a large frying pan over medium heat, add enough oil to coat the pan. Carefully drop tablespoons full of the mixture into the pan. Cook each side until the edges are crisp and the pancakes are golden brown. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extra oil. This recipe makes about 10 potato cakes.
Irish “Hamrocks”
Find some thickly sliced ham at the grocery store. Pre-cooked is easier, but if you can’t find any, ask the butcher how long to cook the ham according to its weight.
Using a small sharp knife, cut the cooked ham slices into the shape of four-leaf clovers and serve these alongside the potatoes.
Green Fruit Skewers
Using canned pineapple or peaches, add 1/4 cup of green crème de menthe (or a few drops of green food colouring) to the combined fruit pieces in syrup. Let the green colour soak into the fruit for 30-45 minutes and arrange the fruit chunks onto skewer sticks.
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